What is Self-Harm?
Self-harm, also known as self-injury, or self-mutilation occurs when someone intentionally harms themselves as a way of expressing or dealing with emotional distress and pain.
Examples of self-harm include:
- Cutting yourself with a razor blade, knife, or other sharp object;
- Hitting yourself or banging your head;
- Punching or throwing yourself against walls or other hard objects;
- Burning yourself with cigarettes, matches, candles, or hot water;
- Pulling out your hair;
- Poking objects into body openings;
- Swallowing poisonous substances or inedible objects;
- Intentionally preventing wounds from healing.
Self-harm can also include less obvious ways of hurting yourself like binge drinking, taking drugs, having unsafe sex, or committing illegal acts.
